As the unrest in the Valley continues for more than a month now, it has not only killed or maimed residents, buts also affected the health of people who are just caged inside their homes due to frequent use of pepper gas and teargas shells.
In Srinagar’s downtown where dozens of neighbourhoods are interconnected by alleys making it a reason for frequent stone-throwing incidents, the police frequently use pepper gas and teargas shells to disperse the protesters, which is affecting the health of residents even when they are inside their homes.
After the recent trouble started in Kashmir following the killing of militant commander Burhan wani, the old Srinagar has mostly remained under curfew. The areas under police stations of old Srinagar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, Khanyar, MR Gunj and Safa Kadal, according to security agencies, are more volatile and prone to violent protests. Whenever there are clashes, the residents are trapped inside their homes.
“When we hear the teargas shells being fired outside our homes we try to sit in one room with windows closed and curtains spread, but still the gas enters the room. We are not able to sleep as it causes continuous irritation and cough. We are not even able to see a doctor due to strict curfew in place. It seems a punishment for no offence,” said Mymoona Jan, a resident of Saraf Kadal.
Not only the young people are affected, but also the use of pepper gas has been troubling elders and children.
“My daughter has recently given birth to a baby and the frequent smoke and pepper gas in the air has severely affected the health of the baby and all family members. It has choked our throats and created respiratory problems. Even sometimes the security forces fire pepper gas shells without any protest or anything,” said Mohammad, a resident of Nowhatta.
Similar problems are faced by people in restive Pulwama and Anantnag where frequent clashes between security forces and the youth lead to “collective punishment” for the residents.
“We live on the main road. Teargas shells sometimes land in our compound forcing us to take refuge in the rear area of our house. We have developed ailments due to pepper gas and teargas. Our lives have become miserable. The bullets kill once, but we are dying a slow death,” said Shazada, a mother of two who resides in Pulwama town.
A Registrar in the Department of Medicine at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital said due to the use of harmful gases like pepper gas to quell the protests, patients suffering from various chest diseases like COPD incurred increased risk of asthma attacks.
“It causes allergy, irritation and cough in all age groups, but people who are already suffering from chest diseases, they have a risk of severe respiratory problems. The pepper gas is more harmful to children and the elderly,” said Dr Adil Ashraf.
Doctors and attendants alleged that teargas shells were fired on the lawns of SMHS Hospital recently, causing severe problems to patients. “Last week when the teargas shells were fired in the hospital we had to admit four patients with lung problems. They had COPD, but it got aggravated after inhaling the gas,” said a doctor at SMHS Hospital.
The government, however, maintains that the pepper gas being used in the region is “non-lethal”.
Pepper gas punishes even ‘Non-Protesters’
